Quick Summary
Chicken Parmesan- crispy, breaded chicken smothered in rich marinara and topped with melty mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This classic dish only takes 30 minutes to make and is a family favorite meal! Serve with pasta, salad, veggies, or garlic bread.
Chicken dinners are always winners and Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite!
Everyone loves this classic recipe. It is popular on restaurant menus, but is easy to make at home. Sure, there are a few steps involved, breading, frying, and baking, but you can have this dish on the dinner table in 30 minutes.
This Chicken Parmesan recipe uses basic ingredients, but the flavors are incredible! It is the perfect meal for busy weeknights or easy entertaining.
The crispy breaded chicken gets covered with rich marinara sauce and topped with lots of melty mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.
Serve with your favorite pasta, a simple salad, a side of veggies, or garlic bread for a delicious dinner!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts– you need 2 large breasts, about 1 ½ pounds. Chicken breasts are generally very large and thick, so it is best to cut the breasts in half horizontally or flatten them with a meat mallet to ensure even cooking.
- Flour– for breading the chicken
- Eggs– for dredging the chicken.
- Bread crumbs– we use plain breadcrumbs. If you want to use seasoned bread crumbs, adjust the seasonings in the recipe to your liking.
- Panko– Panko have a flakier consistency that traditional breadcrumbs and makes the coating extra crispy. The mix of traditional bread crumbs and Panko is perfection.
- Parmesan cheese– use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the good stuff!
- Seasonings-salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder
- Olive oil– for frying the chicken.
- Marinara sauce– we like to use our homemade marinara sauce, but store bought is fine too. We like Rao’s brand.
- Mozzarella cheese– you can use thinly sliced fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella.
- Fresh basil– for garnish!
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Use sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 pieces. Place on a plate and set aside. Alternatively, you can pound each breast with a meat mallet. Place the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper and pound it until it’s about ½ an inch.
- Get out three shallow bowls. Put the flour in one bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs. In the third bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, panko, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere, until well coated. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet or heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until chicken is browned on both sides. Don’t turn up the temperature or you will burn the breading.
- Transfer cooked chicken pieces to the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a baking sheet instead of a baking pan or casserole dish to ensure that the bottom and sides stay super crispy. You also want to make sure you have enough room to spread out the chicken pieces. Overlapping or crowding a dish will lead to soggy chicken. We want a crispy coating.
- Use a spoon to spread about ⅓ cup of marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 14 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through (165 ºF). Use a meat thermometer to check.
- Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan in the Air Fryer
Instead of frying the chicken on the stove, you can fry it in the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket or rack. Leave enough space in between for the air to circulate.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping it half way through. Remove from the air fryer and place on baking sheet.
- Top with sauce, cheese, and bake in the oven, following the recipe instructions.
Serving Suggestions
- Bruschetta
- Garlic Bread or Caprese Garlic Bread
- Salad– Simple Arugula Salad, Easy Green Salad, Butter Lettuce Salad, or Simple Kale Salad
- Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, or any Roasted Vegetables
- Pasta– serve your favorite pasta on the side!
How to Store & Reheat
How to Store: Place the leftover chicken in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
How to Reheat: For best results, reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer so the breading gets nice and crispy. You can use the microwave, but the breading will get a little soggy.
- To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is heated through.
- To reheat in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and reheat for 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is warm.
How to Freeze: You can freeze chicken parmesan for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze BEFORE you add the sauce and cheese. Let the fried chicken cool completely and place in a freezer container or bag. Let thaw completely overnight in the fridge. Place chicken on baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes to heat it through. Remove foil and spoon sauce on top and add cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
More Chicken Recipes
- Lemon Butter Chicken
- Chicken Penne Pasta
- Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ lbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
- 1 1/3 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced*
- Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Use sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 pieces. Alternatively, you can pound each breast with a meat mallet. Place the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper and pound it until it's about ½ an inch. Place on a plate and set aside.
- Get out three shallow bowls. Put the flour in one bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs. In the third bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, panko, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere, until well coated. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet or heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until chicken is browned on both sides. Transfer chicken pieces to the prepared baking sheet.
- Use a spoon to spread about ⅓ cup of marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 14 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through (165 ºF).
- Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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